Bolivia Trusts Ninavia and Herzog for the Junior Pan American Games
Asunción, Paraguay – The Bolivian delegation is preparing for the Junior Pan American Games, with hopes placed on two outstanding athletes: David Ninavia and Nanuq Herzog.
David Ninavia, a long-distance runner, and Nanuq Herzog, an archer, are Bolivia’s main hopes to stand out in this edition of the event.
David Ninavia: An Athlete with a History of Success
David Ninavia, born in Llallagua, Potosí, and trained in Oruro, already knows what it’s like to triumph in this type of competition. In the Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games, he obtained the gold medal in the 5,000-meter flat race, the only gold for Bolivia in that event.His success continued at the 2022 Valledupar Bolivarian Games, where he won silver in the 1,500 meters and set a new national record with a time of 3:43.60, surpassing the previous mark of 3:45.57.
In March of this year, Ninavia demonstrated her talent by setting a sub-23 national record in the 10,000-meter flat race with a time of 29:35.93.
Nanuq Herzog: Aiming High in Archery
Nanuq Herzog, from Santa Cruz, will also seek to leave his mark on the games. His participation comes after obtaining a silver medal and securing his classification in the archery qualifiers held in Buenos Aires.
Herzog, whose name means ‘polar bear’ in the Eskimo language, stood out in the South American Junior and Master Open Championship held in Chile in March, where he achieved a gold medal and a silver medal in the under-18 category, and in the Bolivarian Youth Games of Sucre 2024 he won bronze on two occasions.
Bolivia at the Games: Expectations and Participation
The Bolivian delegation will be composed of 54 athletes who will compete in eleven disciplines. Marco Arze, president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee (COB), confirmed that 42 athletes qualified “by sports right”.In the Cali 2021 Games, Bolivia obtained the nineteenth place with a total of four medals: one gold, one silver and two bronze. Ninavia won the gold, while Juan Carlos Prado obtained the silver in tennis. Nicolás Barrón in karate and María Celeste Áñez in taekwondo, won bronze medals.
Arze expressed his hope that Bolivia will have an outstanding performance in athletics, archery, and swimming.
